Spring Concert 2024
At this time of year, we celebrate the achievements of our most senior students and offer some the opportunity to perform as a soloist accompanied by one of our senior ensembles. First up came Petra, who performed an outstanding and stylistic saxophone solo as part of Jazz Band's rendition of 'I Got You (I Feel Good)' by James Brown. They really engaged with the audience and showed how much they'd grown in confidence since their time in Year 7.
Some of our chamber groups also performed music from musicals, folk music, and music of living composers. Each group drew the audience in, engaged them with pieces that either had them singing along to songs they knew, or admiring and enjoying something new.
Likewise, our larger ensembles, Wind Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra, played some well-known hits from Queen and the hit TV series, 'Doctor Who'. A fantastic sound was created by all who played and this really showcases what our school community has to offer.
One of our A Level Music students, Heather, chose to perform the challenging and iconic piece 'Something's Coming' from West Side Story alongside our Symphony Orchestra. With much of the music syncopated, and the composed vocals often rhythmically different to the rest of the orchestra, it was tough to pull off. However, Heather certainly rose to the challenge, as did the ensemble, and the performance was exquisite.
Lastly, we finished off the night with another of our long-standing singers, Diana. Accompanied by Jazz Band, she took on the famous 'Cry Me a River' by Arthur Hamilton. Well-suited to her alto voice, Diana made the piece her own with her beautiful melismas and wonderful array of dynamics. She created a fantastic atmosphere fit to end a concert, and what a way to finish her time at Kendrick!
We'd like to thank the music staff for putting together the concert, Berkshire Music Trust for their help in directing and conducting ensembles, the students themselves who performed, staff helpers who assisted front of house and backstage, Alisha who did our concert lighting, the Finance Team who organised our ticketing arrangements, the caretakers for the staging, KPS for their tasty refreshments, and the audience for attending and supporting our students with their music-making.
More photos from the Spring Concert can be viewed here.
We look forward to seeing more of you at our Creative Arts Festival in July.